Motor vehicles are increasingly equipped with electronic velocity control systems and adaptive cruise control systems. During unimpeded driving, the velocity of the host vehicle is adjusted by the velocity controller to a setpoint velocity selectable by the driver. When following a vehicle, when a preceding vehicle is located ahead of the host vehicle, the distance and relative velocity of the preceding vehicle is measured with the aid of a radar sensor, and the distance is adjusted to a velocity-dependent setpoint distance by corresponding acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle, so that the preceding vehicle is tracked with a predetermined time gap generally selectable by the driver.
Some systems of this type also offer the driver the option of influencing the control behavior by adjusting parameters of the adaptive cruise controller and adapting them to his/her personal wishes and preferences. In this way, it is possible, in particular, to choose between a more dynamic driving style, characterized by more rapid accelerations and, if necessary, correspondingly harder braking maneuvers, and a rather balanced, generally more fuel-saving driving style.
In certain traffic situations, for example, in traffic jam situations, considerable fuel savings could be achieved by the selection of the more balanced driving style. One problem, however, is that this attunement of the control system finds only little acceptance with many motor vehicle drivers since it does not match the intuitive driving behavior of the human driver.